Notorious SF: Frank Jordan Shower

San Francisco photographer Billy Douglas
On the morning of October 27, 1995, Mayor Frank Jordan was visited at his Fillmore Street home by disc jockeys Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps. The DJs were up from Los Angeles to support KRQR, the local station that carried their morning drive time show. They suggested that the mayor - who was less than two weeks away from a hotly contested election to retain his office for a second term - allow the DJs to join him in the shower. Egged on by his wife Wendy Paskin, the mayor said, "Why not?" The shower was broadcast live on the radio and captured on film by San Francisco photogrpaher Billy Douglas. While some were amused, most San Franciscans thought the mayor looked like an ass after Douglas' photo was published on the front page of the afternoon paper. Whether or not Jordan, who lost his re-election bid to Willie Brown, owes his failure to this act of bad judgement so close to the election is anybody's guess. However, Douglas says that Mayor Brown still takes him to dinner now and again. 

Copyright 2002 Hank Donat
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